Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers Salary
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL make a median of $29,630 a year, or about $14.24 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.08), which stretches that salary to about $34,421 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $992/month, about 47.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $30K get you in Cape Girardeau?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cape Girardeau’s Regional Price Parity (86.08). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About laundry and dry-cleaning workers
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What this looks like in Cape Girardeau
Pay for laundry and dry-cleaning workers in Cape Girardeau runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $992/month, which is 47.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for laundry and dry-cleaning workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for laundry and dry-cleaning workers in metros near Cape Girardeau, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $35K | $37K |
| Kansas City | $34K | $37K |
| Springfield | $31K | $35K |
| Columbia | $36K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Entry-level laundry and dry-cleaning workers (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $7K spread from bottom to top.
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $40K | +13% | 3,870 |
| Oregon | $38K | +8% | 1,890 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +8% | 320 |
| California | $38K | +8% | 21,940 |
| Colorado | $38K | +8% | 3,370 |
| Minnesota | $38K | +8% | 3,530 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +7% | 3,700 |
| North Dakota | $37K | +7% | 840 |
| Maine | $37K | +7% | 820 |
| Vermont | $37K | +7% | 280 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | +7% | 650 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +6% | 890 |
| Arizona | $37K | +5% | 4,290 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +4% | 1,830 |
| Montana | $36K | +4% | 1,030 |
| Nevada | $36K | +4% | 4,540 |
| Alaska | $36K | +3% | 750 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +3% | 6,110 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | +2% | 3,310 |
| Utah | $36K | +2% | 1,470 |
| Hawaii | $36K | +2% | 1,730 |
| Illinois | $35K | +1% | 8,550 |
| Idaho | $35K | +1% | 1,350 |
| Michigan | $35K | +1% | 4,970 |
| New York | $35K | +0% | 13,020 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -0% | 1,060 |
| Maryland | $35K | -1% | 3,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $34K | -2% | 6,290 |
| Iowa | $34K | -2% | 1,900 |
| Missouri | $34K | -3% | 3,930 |
| Delaware | $34K | -3% | 710 |
| Tennessee | $33K | -5% | 5,730 |
| South Dakota | $33K | -6% | 750 |
| Florida | $32K | -7% | 14,150 |
| Virginia | $32K | -8% | 4,900 |
| North Carolina | $32K | -9% | 5,570 |
| Indiana | $31K | -11% | 3,190 |
| New Mexico | $31K | -12% | 1,320 |
| Georgia | $31K | -12% | 5,150 |
| Ohio | $31K | -13% | 6,990 |
| South Carolina | $30K | -13% | 3,160 |
| Kansas | $30K | -14% | 2,160 |
| Texas | $30K | -15% | 17,030 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -16% | 2,350 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -17% | 1,340 |
| Wyoming | $29K | -18% | 690 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -18% | 1,640 |
| Alabama | $28K | -19% | 2,150 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -19% | 2,680 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -21% | 2,950 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -22% | 1,420 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track laundry and dry-cleaning workers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a laundry and dry-cleaning worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cape Girardeau?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 47.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $992/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for laundry and dry-cleaning workers in Cape Girardeau?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new laundry and dry-cleaning workers typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,739/month. At HUD’s $992/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is laundry and dry-cleaning worker a high-paying job in Cape Girardeau?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $30K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Cape Girardeau compare to the national average for laundry and dry-cleaning workers?
Cape Girardeau pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do laundry and dry-cleaning workers make in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?
The median is $29,630 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,990, and experienced laundry and dry-cleaning workers can clear $36,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Cape Girardeau?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,103/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $992/month, which eats 47.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a laundry and dry-cleaning workers salary go in Cape Girardeau?
Cape Girardeau has a Regional Price Parity of 86.08 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median laundry and dry-cleaning workers salary is worth about $34,421 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do laundry and dry-cleaning workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.